Registration for 2025-26 Mentorship Program Fall Cohort to Open September 2
Registration for AVs and Designees for the 2025-26 Mentorship Program Fall Cohort opens Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. CPT on the Mentorship Program page and will close on September 12, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CPT. The Mentorship Program provides mentees with virtual courses and training covering Program processes and requirements and facilitates opportunities to network with other market stakeholders. Mentees are expected to […]
2025-26 Mentorship Program Fall Cohort Registration Opening September 2
On September 2, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. CPT, mentee and mentor registration for AVs and Designees will open for the 2025-26 Mentorship Program Fall Cohort on the Mentorship Program page. Registration closes on September 12, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CPT. The Mentorship Program provides virtual courses and training covering the Illinois Shines program processes and requirements and opportunities to network with other market stakeholders. Space […]
Mentorship Program Final Report
The Illinois Shines 2024-25 Program Year Mentorship Program concluded March 10, 2025, capping an eight-week program during which mentees completed virtual training courses and participated in live, interactive sessions with experienced AV mentors and the Program Administrator’s subject matter experts and an in-person graduation event. This week, the Program published a final Illinois Shines 2024-25 Mentorship Program Final […]
Equity Eligible Contractor Community Solar (Group A) Block Reaches Capacity, Soft Close Period Initiated and Concluded
As mentioned above, the EEC CS Group A subcategory block closed on Day 1 of the Program Year, June 2, 2025, after going through the soft close process. The soft close period was both initiated and concluded on Day 1 of the Program Year. As a reminder, the soft close period allows a block to remain open for seven […]
Launch of New EEC Application, and EEC Certificates Available for Certified EECs
The Program Administrator will launch a new application for certification as an Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC), which will be available on the Become an EEC page on June 2, 2025. The new application will allow EEC applicants to attach required documentation directly to their submission, including a new fillable EEC Attestation, to streamline the application process by eliminating the need to provide documentation via SharePoint folder. This application will also solicit additional contextual information from applicants including demographic […]
EEC Subcategory Merging Completed; Block Capacity Dashboard Updated-
EEC Subcategory Merging Completed; Block Capacity Dashboard Updated– As provided in the Long-Term Plan Section7.4.6.4, on May 1, 2025 the Program and Agency opened EEC subcategory capacity to the entire category 11 months into the Program Year, and thereafter reallocate any uncontracted capacity in the category at the close of the Program Year following the process outlined […]
EEC Subcategory Merging
As provided in the Long-Term Plan Section7.4.6.4, the Program and Agency will open EEC subcategory capacity to the entire category 11 months into the Program Year, and thereafter reallocate any uncontracted capacity in the category at the close of the Program Year following the process outlined in Section 7.3.4. On May 1, 2025, the Program […]
Request for Stakeholder Feedback on Enhancements to Equity Eligible Contractor Certification
On April 1, 2025, the Illinois Power Agency (“IPA”) released a Request for Stakeholder Feedback that seeks input on the potential strategies to enhance the certification process for Equity Eligible Contractors (“EEC”). This feedback will inform new requirements as part of the IPA’s upcoming update of its Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan (to be finalized in 2026). Written responses to the […]
Illinois Shines 2024-25 Program Year Mentorship Program Concludes, Honoring Graduating Mentees
The Illinois Shines 2024-25 Program Year Mentorship Program concluded Monday, March 10, 2025, with an in-person graduation ceremony for mentees. The event capped an eight-week Mentorship Program during which mentees completed virtual training courses and participated in live, interactive sessions with experienced AV mentors and the Program Administrator’s subject matter experts. The Mentorship Program was […]
Mentorship Program Next Steps
Registration for the 2024-25 Mentorship Program closed December 6, 2024. The Program Administrator will inform applicants of their mentee or mentor status by email on December 20, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. CPT. Please contact the EEC Sector Strategist at [email protected] if you have questions about the Mentorship Program.